Chapter 54 - Volume 1
TL: I will be concentrating on the JP series next week and I expect the next regular release for the CN series on 12 March.
I also want to say my sincere thanks to the donators. You guys allowed me to purchase a lot of artbooks, and I’ll post up some photos on them once they arrive some time in late march.
Chapter 54 – Breakthrough
The gargoyle skidded against the soft river ground ten over meters after it was forced down. The damage against this monstrous creature was minor, but Brendel and Ciel were hurled towards the ground with considerable impact.
The nobles’ soldiers around them immediately became excited once they landed on the ground, and they swarmed towards them like angry insects. Even though they were a bunch of low ranking mobs, the riders’ charge made them look terrifying. After Ciel stood up from the ground and shook off the sand, he received a shock after looking at his surroundings and immediately asked: “My lord, what should we do now?”
Brendel pulled his leg out from the mud and drew his sword. He yelled: “Cut the crap, create a wall now!”
This was the classic strategy of Aouine’s wizards against the riders. The players’ strategies gradually evolved from this basic spell as it was effective against inexperienced riders.
Ciel immediately understood and used a ruby and pointed to the front: “To halt, to counter, Wall of creation—” Strings of light extended everywhere and formed a wall. The strings of light disappeared and a firm wall made of air was created.
Most of the riders had no idea what it was and they charged forward. There were a few experienced soldiers who split into two directions while Makavu tried to command his troops to circle the enemies, but the noise created from the galloping horses drowned his voice.
The first row of riders crashed into the wall of air. The horses knelt onto the ground, while the riders were thrown upwards and crashes into the wall. The next row of riders trampled onto the first row and then stumbled to the ground. As the third row crashed onto the second row, the increasing pressure shattered the wall of air, and suddenly a great number of the corpses were propelled forward and landed near Brendel’s feet.
This happened in a single instant, and the forceful impact frightened even Brendel and Ciel. They took a step backwards involuntarily.
Makavu cursed in anger from behind. The first row of riders were immediately killed, and the second row of riders were heavily injured. The third row of riders were mostly incapacitated and could not join back in the fray. Twenty odd men were never going to come back and rejoin his army, and he felt heartbroken by that fact.
He clenched his teeth and quickly bandaged his bloodied hands, then charged forth with a brandished greatsword. There were still ten over veteran riders remaining and he needed to lead them personally to suppress the two enemies in front, until the footmen were able to catch up with them.
[We need to target that wizard! If he continues to use his magic it would spell disaster for us!]
Makavu waved his greatsword twice, signalling his men to spread out and surround the enemies. He was fuming slightly when he saw their hesitant behavior. Each one of them was at least an Iron-rank, but when it came to the critical moment they were reluctant to advance.
“Charge! Attack as one!” Makavu understood he needed to spur them despite his anger.
He did not know that Brendel had been observing him for quite some time already.
[I fought more than enough times to know what you’re thinking. There’s no need to try and hide your tactics.] Brendel watched Makavu advance on an Arreck horse as he continued to issue out commands.
He spat out the sand in his mouth and tapped Ciel’s shoulder, then pointed to Makavu.
“See that man, coordinate with me at the right moment with a magic arrow.”
Ciel immediately shook his head. “He’s on a horse and I’m not that accurate.”
“No problem, you don’t need to worry about mana conservation, if you miss just keep on shooting.”
“Then it should be fine.”
Brendel checked the riders in his surroundings, grabbed his sword’s hilt and readied himself. After Makavu and his riders circled once, Makavu raised his sword just like he expected.
[He’s preparing to charge with everyone.]
Thirty meters.
Twenty meters.
Brendel was waiting for a chance like this. He went into a stance and unleashed his sword from the scabbard. Light burst forth along with a violent gust. Makavu saw the translucent ripple spreading forth along the ground, dragging pebbles along its path. Even though he had never seen the royal court’s sword style, he recognized that danger was coming towards him. He immediately jumped high up from his horse.
As he went up in mid-air, Brendel’s technique swept past the Arreck horse, and the giant horse suddenly stumbled forward and collapsed into a heap.
Its four limbs were severed.
Makavu drew a cold breath as he thought of a term.
[Sword aura—]
But before he could finish his thoughts, a beam of white light pierced through the air and struck his chest. A second beam stabbed his shoulder, the third beam impaled his abdomen, and the final beam of light went past him. Makavu changed directions three times before crashing down onto the sand lifelessly.
This sudden change made the riders pull their reins. They were not shocked by Makavu’s death, but by the technique displayed before them. It was a signature move used by paladins. Their expressions changed into fear as they wondered who the young man was.
“You’re quite accurate.” Brendel sheathed his sword.
“Ho ho. But this credit belongs to my lord.” Ciel answered with a straight face.
Brendel smiled when he heard that. He checked the scenery in front of him. Even though the riders were stunned into inaction, he could not relax as he saw the shadows from the infantry in the Long Spear Forest.
He exhaled as he rearranged his plan. He looked to the north as he realized the only chance was in that direction. He was not sure whether he was able to pull it off but he pointed in that direction and yelled: “Wstry (Advance forth)!”
[If I don’t have any attack commands for the gargoyle, then I’ll use the move command as a substitute.]
The Golden Apple Lord watched the events unfold from a high view. His face was contorted into an ugly expression. Even though these troops were not elites, he had paid for them, especially Makavu. Even though he was a low-born, he was a strong commander and a capable fighter.
“A highland knight is indeed a highland knight. I didn’t really believe in the rumors of the legendary prowess of the White Knight army, but it looks like that was no falsity in it.” Burnley said with a smile of his face.
“Looks like Earl Dunn is most likely dead. I wonder if that ‘Tiger’ dares to take on this highland knight. But if he manages to do so, even a dead body would be disadvantageous to us, especially when we did not manage to find the two women.”
“I just find it strange as to why this particular young man needed to kill Dunn. If this man is really a Bucce’s militia, wouldn’t be better for him to use the Earl as a hostage? This is such a pity, we could have use Dunn’s social powers.” Burnley pretended to be dismayed by the events, but his eyes were laughing.
“Not necessarily. There’s no need to stand on any political factions too quickly. The matters between the royal family and the White-mane army are still undecided. But no matter what, whether that man is an assassin or had some other goals in his mind, I think that sword of his has something very wrong with it—” The Golden Apple Lord grabbed his reins and adjusted himself on the horse.
“That Elven Sword?”
Esebar wanted to nod, but suddenly saw his soldiers were splitting apart like they were avoiding a wave. He paused momentarily, then spotted a gargoyle charging at him. His words faltered as he pulled his reins subconsciously. He wanted to turn away, but because he used too much force as he was too tense, the horse actually stood up in hind legs with a neigh.
“Lord Esebar, be careful!”
As the gargoyle was over twenty levels, its strength was higher than most Iron-ranked fighters, and along with its formidable defense, charging into the midst of the unranked soldiers was akin to a tiger charging into the midst of lambs. With the advent of this giant monster, the soldiers suddenly felt an innate fear taking over their bodies. One of them even yelled panickedly: “Dragon!!!”
Brendel expected the gargoyle to easily crush the soldiers’ weak formations, but he also understood that the situation would not last for long. The soldiers were momentarily confused, but once they recovered the gargoyle would not be able to fight against their number.
If they were well trained, whether the gargoyle could even handle ten soldiers was a question.
He needed to utilize the chaotic scene and prevent them from regaining their formation, and he acted on it quickly.
“Ciel, follow and cover me.”
He rushed forward as he finished speaking. The pathway made by the gargoyle was closing up as the soldiers wanted to block their enemies, but Brendel swung his sword forward, and the wind pressure was like a scythe going through the soldiers, reaping them like wheat.
The soldiers who were behind them fell back in fright as they abandoned all notions to continue fighting, creating a greater pathway than the gargoyle did. If Makavu was still around they might be able to form up, but their leader was now gone.
Brendel and Ciel quickly passed through the Long Spear Forest. If there were any stragglers who wanted to follow them, Ciel shot them down with magic arrows. He still had two bottles of mana potion, and the magic arrow spell was a cheap and effective magic.
Brendel raised his heads and faintly saw a group of nobles on top of the hill nearby. He saw Lord Burnley and issued another command.
“That fat bastard, ary — (Take) –!”
Before he finished issuing the command, he suddenly found a group of riders coming from the left flank. These riders wore deep blue garments with a pointed hat, donned silver armor with shoulder guards, along with a white tussle behind them. These were the light calvary of the White-Mane army.
The two groups realized that the ‘Tiger’ Luc Beson had arrived.
“Bacchus, Taron, take down that Madara spy!” Even the midst of the noisy army, Luc Beson’s calm voice still resounded clearly, sending a chill to everyone present.
Two tall riders came from the left and right at Brendel after Luc Beson finished speaking.
“Very good.” Brendel scoffed coldly in his heart and activated his ‘Charge’ skill, dashing past them in an instant. Bacchus and Taron stopped for a moment, and when they realized what happened and turned behind them, the young man had gone past them ten over meters.
Not only them, the majority of the White-Mane army were also stunned. The two men were squadron leaders and were low Iron-ranked fighters, and Brendel pulled away so easily?
Luc Beson’s eyebrows went up.
[Charge skill? This young man is also related to the Sun knights?]
He immediately raised his right hand: “Odin, Kline, stop him!”
Two riders advanced together. The squadron leaders were especially proficient in their riding skills, and even though they started off late, they immediately caught up with Brendel.
But before the soldiers could cheer for their leaders, Odin and Kline were already thrown off their horses. Everyone’s eyes went wide open.
The ones who had quicker eyes saw the event unfold clearly: The young man did not stop, exchanged a single blow with each of them, destroyed both their swords, and they were thrown backwards like they were knocked by a dragon.
“Power Break!” A person’s cry immediately made many people realize what happened.
Brendel did not hear or say anything as his attention was on Burnley. The gargoyle had already grabbed him. This was the key to escaping this dead end.
[Victory is at hand, right?]